Never in the popular social group in high school, she was constantly picked on for her weight, freckles and hair color. Kids would push her into lockers, call her fat and, she said, tell her to kill …
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Lora Thomas vividly remembers the day: a snowy February afternoon in 2012. She was Douglas County’s coroner then and she was standing in the kitchen of a home in Parker, talking with a father who …
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Kristen Torres was home alone when she had thoughts of ending her life. She was 14 years old. Her parents were out of the country. Her older brother was away at college. She had experienced social …
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Check out a Time to Talk community conversation about mental health and youth: Andrew Romanoff, CEO of Mental Health Colorado, talked about the importance of early intervention. Kristen Torres, a CSU sophomore and Douglas County graduate, and Kirstie June, a senior at Chaparral High School, shared their personal mental health struggles and how they've overcome them.
Hosted by Colorado Community Media on April 26 at Lone Tree Library in partnership with Douglas County Libraries and the Douglas County Mental Health Initiative.
We will continue to hold discussions, with two more forums planned for this fall. Watch the website for updates.
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Whenever she has free time, Jayden Parks pulls out her phone and checks Instagram or Snapchat. She scrolls through photos, comparing herself to other teens portraying what seem to be perfect lives. …
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With an enrollment that surpasses 2,000 kids, it’s unlikely Brett Siebert will run into friends between classes as he rushes through the busy hallways at Castle View High School in Castle Rock. To …
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When Douglas County Deputy Jay Martin first started teaching about relationships, digital safety and substance abuse prevention, maybe one high school student in each of his classes would raise his …
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In the dark, early-morning hours of New Year’s Eve, Douglas County Deputy Zackari Parrish pleaded through the closed door of a Highlands Ranch apartment with a tenant he believed to be experiencing …
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When a person in a mental health crisis is an imminent danger to himself, herself or others, or is gravely disabled by a mental illness, mental health and law enforcement professionals may place them …
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Jeff Santelli, a retired Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputy who now works as a CIT trainer, suggested that CIT should be a specialized presence in law enforcement, likening it to SWAT teams.
Just like SWAT officers, CIT officers require a specific skillset, Santelli said.
“It’s actually a very similar analogy to CIT,” he said. “It’s a specialized training of communication and not everybody is the best communicator.”
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Law enforcement and mental health experts point to a culture shift in the approach to mental health treatment in the 1960s for the drastic rise in inmates with mental illness. In 1963, President John …
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In November, Castle Rock residents will usher in their first mayor elected by a townwide vote of the people. The town transitions to an at-large system this year after decades of appointing its mayor …

Shelly Leuenberger temporarily left her love of playing beach volleyball behind when she moved with her family from California to Colorado. However, the Parker resident is playing volleyball again in …